Using children’s literature to
teach English
British Council TeachingEnglish Webinar
2 October 2014
Gail Ellis
Storybooks
Traditional Fairy Tales
Modern retellings
*Princess Smartypants, Babette Cole, Hamish Hamilton
Little Red Riding Hood, Tony Ross, Puffin Books
*Jim and the Beanstalk, Raymond Briggs, Puffin Books
Everyday stories
It’s a Book, Lane Smith, Macmillan
Eat your Peas, Kes Gray and Nick Sharratt, Red Fox
Information Books
Augustus and his Smile, Catherine Rayner, Little Tiger Press
My Green Day, Melanie Walsh, Walker Books
The Emperor’s Egg, Martin Jenkins. Illustrated by Jane Chapman, Walker Books
Meerkat in Trouble, Allan Frewin Jones, Illustrated by Adrienne Kennaway, Happy
Cat Books
Stories from around the World
**Rain, Manya Stojic, David Bennett Books
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters, John Steptoe, Puffin Books
The Chinese New Year
Citizenship, Values, Diversity
Five Little Fiends, Sarah Dyer, Bloomsbury
Dinosaurs and all that Rubbish, Michael Foreman, Puffin Books
**What if? Mick Manning and Brita Granström, Franklin Watts
**Susan Laughs Jeann Willis and Tony Ross, Red Rox
**Little Beauty, Anthony Browne, Walker Books
**Peas! Andrew Cullen. Illustrated by Simon Rickerty, Puffin Books
**Tusk Tusk, David Mckee, Andersen Press
**Is it because? Tony Ross, Andersen Press
**The Very Busy Spider, Eric Carle, Puffin Books
Monsters and fantasy
Where the Wild Things Are. Maurice Sendak, Puffin Books
Songs
Today is Monday, Eric Carle, Puffin Books
Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes, Eric Litwin. Art by James Dean, Harper Collins
Early Years
Monkey and Me, Emily Gravett, Macmillan
My flower, your flower, Melanie Walsh, Eden Project
Other storybooks referred to
*Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carl, Puffin Books
*Brown Bear, Brown Bear. What do you see? Bill Martin, Jr. Illustrated by Eric Carl,
Puffin Books
Shark in the Park! Nick Sharratt, David Fickling Books
Ketchup On Your Cornflakes? Nick Sharratt, Picture Hippo
The Snowman, Raymond Briggs, Puffin Books
Meg and Mog, Helen Nicoll and Jan Pienkowski, Puffin Books
The Doorbell Rang, Pat Hutchins, Puffin Books
*Storynotes available in Tell it Again!
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/tell-it-again-storytelling-handbook-primaryenglish-language-teachers
** Storynotes available here
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/teaching-kids/promoting-diversity-throughchildren%E2%80%99s-literature